Gerry Butler, one of Hollywood's most eligible bachelors, wants an Aussie wife.

He's not fussy.

But the woman needs to be Australian.

"The woman I settle down with will no doubt be Australian," Butler, the Scottish-born actor tipped to be the next James Bond and who won the coveted role of the Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's extravagant new film version of The Phantom of the Opera, said.

"So if there's anybody out there who knows a nice Aussie girl, please let me know."

The last statement has Butler rolling around on a couch in hysterics.

The 35-year-old party boy from Glasgow admits to commitment phobia when it comes to women.

As both one of Hollywood's hottest properties and a single guy, finding women is not that difficult.

Butler just can't keep them.

"The problem I have with women is this," he says as a wicked smile spreads across his face.

"I appreciate and love women for many reasons - tall and small, plump and skinny and crazy and demure.

AdvertisementAdvertisement"I see beauty in all of them."

The actor was hoping to find his true love during a promotional tour of Australia for the Phantom film, but he was disappointed when he discovered the cast would not be making the trip because of scheduling conflicts.

A world traveller, Australia is one of the few countries Butler has yet to visit.

"I just found out the cast won't be going to Australia to promote the movie and that's the place that more than anywhere I wanted to go," he says.

"Everybody that knows me says 'Gerry, once you go to Australia you won't come back'."

His enchantment with Australian women began in 2001 when he starred in the TV movie Attila, playing warmonger Attila the Hun with Australian actress Simmone Mackinnon, a 31-year-old beauty from Mt Isa and a star of McLeod's Daughters.

"It was my big acting break," Butler said.

"I played opposite Simmone, who I love.

"Since then I have honestly thought the perfect woman for me - when I eventually settle down - will be an Australian woman because they are so beautiful, but they're also cool.

"They're like the guys. They love to have a blast.

"Simmone is probably the coolest woman I have ever met on this planet. She's easygoing, fun, crazy, but cool and honest."

Butler's singing and acting performance as the Phantom, a disfigured musical genius haunting the catacombs of a Parisian opera house, is easily the actor's most challenging role.

Unlike the other leads in Phantom - Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson and Minnie Driver - Butler's musical background was little more than singing in the amateur pub rock band, Speed, 10 years ago in Scotland with some mates.

Rossum trained at New York's Metropolitan Opera, Wilson starred on Broadway in Oklahoma! and The Full Monty and Driver has just put out her own pop/folk album Everything I've Got In My Pocket.

"Was I a rock star in Scotland? Definitely not," Butler dismisses the thought with another laugh.

"We had so much fun. I had some of the best nights of my life with that band in Glasgow.

"I was twice thrown out of my own gigs. I was ejected from the clubs.

"Once it was because I ran out on to the street with the microphone and I was still singing. Everyone in the club could still hear me.

"Another time it was the biggest gig we ever did. There were 10,000 people at the Edinburgh Festival.

"The band got pissed off because I got smashed before the gig.

"I forgot all of my words and I was having such a laugh with the audience but I was using abusive language.

"The police ended up on stage.

"Our guitarist was saying to the police 'Arrest him, arrest him'.

"He was so angry at me."

Plenty of big names such as Michael Crawford, who starred in the original stage version in 1986, Hugh Jackman and John Travolta were rumoured to be interested in playing the Phantom, but Lloyd Webber and Phantom director Joel Schumacher were after an actor with "a rock and roll sensibility".

"He's got to be a bit rough, a bit dangerous; not a conventional singer," Lloyd Webber said.

Butler could not believe his luck when his agent said Schumacher had called to ask if he would be interested in playing the Phantom.

Before he met the director Butler secretly hired a singing teacher and had two lessons.

"I had never had a single singing lesson in my life until I was approached about that role," he said.

"I decided I'd have the two singing lessons and then ask my singing teacher: 'Honestly, can I do this?'.

"If she said 'No' then I was not even going to go and meet Joel.

"I wasn't going to make a fool of myself in front of Joel or Andrew.

"But in my second session I finished singing Music of the Night and there was a moment I stopped singing and I looked at my teacher and we both broke into a very small smile and she said 'You can do this'."

It was time to meet Schumacher.

"When I met Joel he said 'What do you think of the script?' and I said 'I love it. I told him my feelings' and he said 'Great, well I want you to be my Phantom'," Butler recalled.

"It was that quick. From then on it was whether I could sing or not."

Butler was still terrified, despite the thumbs up from his singing coach, and before he knew it he was summonsed to Lloyd Webber's home in London.

The crucial audition was on the day after Butler's beloved Celtic soccer club played Portugal's Boavista in the semi-final of the UEFA Cup.

"It was as far as we had gone in the European championship in years and I was in Glasgow and it was the night before I had to fly to London and sing for Andrew," he said.

"I couldn't shout or scream or make a noise during the game.

"It was probably the most vocal you have ever heard Celtic fans and my mates were going 'C'mon Gerry. Cheer' and I had to say in my softest voice 'Sorry, I can't'."

The next day he landed in London and was taken to a small room in Lloyd Webber's home.

Standing in the room was Lloyd Webber and at the piano was the Phantom's musical director, Simon Lee.

"It was very nerve-wracking," Butler recalled.

"I remember the room was not conducive to standing up and singing for Andrew Lloyd Webber.

"It had a funny atmosphere. It was dead.

"All I could think was 'Oh my God. I'm about to sing Music of the Night for the man who wrote it'."

With his legs shaking, Butler nailed the audition and Lloyd Webber signed him to the role.

Lloyd Webber describes his new star's voice as being "a great rock tenor voice".

There's talk Butler might get nominated for an Oscar, although he does not want to hear about it.

"I find that a very difficult notion to contend with," Butler said.

"I still see myself as Gerry Butler the boy from Paisley rather than playing the Phantom and the possibility of that.

"I can't even say (Oscar). I can only say 'That'.

"I've gone and done my best in this role and gave it my heart and soul.

"I've never been more satisfied. But if you start thinking about awards, you are setting yourself up for a massive disappointment."

There's also talk Butler will replace Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, but Butler says that is just more speculation. He says he or his agent have never been contacted or had a discussion with the 007 producers about it.

"I think there's 100 actors the press is speculating about and I'm just one of them," Butler said.

"I can state I haven't had any discussions.

"I heard it could be Eric Bana. I've heard it could be others.

"I think people have nothing better to do than just make up stories about who is going to play Bond.

"I suppose I could look at it as flattering that the press would want to include me as a possibility and make up stories about me."

If Butler misses out on an Oscar nomination and the 007 role there is one other trophy he hopes to get - that Australian wife.

NYC and Hollywood are the right places for him to be. Women from all over the world go to those 2 places for a chance at fame and fortune. Just name a country and they'll be a woman within spitting distance from there.

Scottish actor GERARD BUTLER stays single when he's working in Hollywood because he find Los Angeles women lack the strength of personality he is attracted to.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA heart-throb is turned off by the superficiality which he believes is rife amongst Californian women, and their obsession for the perfect appearance without any thought for depth of character.

He says, "I don't get around much because I don't like this attitude that many women put on her in LA.

"I like natural, nice girls with personality. I'd say I'm single at the moment."

I have my doubts about him ever being sincere, but then he wasn't famous before.

kayanneComplete Loss of Marbles

Number of posts : 1041Registration date : 2010-03-30

Subject: Re: A 2004 interview Wed Sep 15, 2010 10:49 am

Some guys remain frat boys all their lives and get away with it. It's just who they are and if it makes them happy, then great.

I have a friend like that. He's 42 and very good looking so he gets away with it with most women. I love him dearly as a friend and I think he is hot but I would never trust him with my heart, despite the fact he tells me I would be pleasantly surprised if I did. I can't believe him based on his track record. If I ever were to think about dating him, I would make him"court me"--no funny stuff and total fidelity--for at least a year before I would even think about it any type of relationship. However, if he did agree to that (I have never asked him) and stuck to it I think he would be the one I would fall for because he is so charismatic.

But that would never happen, I think and I won't let myself go there at all. Women are interchangeable for him. Ironically, he is texting me now!

Some guys remain frat boys all their lives and get away with it. It's just who they are and if it makes them happy, then great.

I have a friend like that. He's 42 and very good looking so he gets away with it with most women. I love him dearly as a friend and I think he is hot but I would never trust him with my heart, despite the fact he tells me I would be pleasantly surprised if I did. I can't believe him based on his track record. If I ever were to think about dating him, I would make him"court me"--no funny stuff and total fidelity--for at least a year before I would even think about it any type of relationship. However, if he did agree to that (I have never asked him) and stuck to it I think he would be the one I would fall for because he is so charismatic.

But that would never happen, I think and I won't let myself go there at all. Women are interchangeable for him. Ironically, he is texting me now!

It sounds like you're his "conquest" challenge kayanne. Friend or not........watch out!!!